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Diane Manhattan
Yoga
An Introduction to Yoga
Yoga is an ancient discipline that stimulates and nurtures the healing of the body, balances emotions and clarifies the mind. The practice of yoga is about focusing on the strict alignment of the body, coordination of breath and movement, holding postures and meditation. Yoga enables us to direct our attention to the wholeness of the body and mind, to heal and neutralize the effects of daily stress.Many believe that yoga is a type of religion, however, yoga is not a religion. Yoga is practiced in religions of all dominations. Many who practice yoga feel that it brings them closer to God. Others practice yoga to find their higher consciousness, state of wholeness, well being, and enlightenment.
Eight Limbs of Yoga
Yoga is organized into "eight limbs" which are the basics for understanding the yoga principles. The eight limbs of yoga focus on the body as whole: the physical, the mental and the spiritual. The first four limbs (Asana, Pratyahara, Pratyahara, and Niyamas) are the principles that bring the body and mind in harmony. The other remaining four limbs (Yama, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi) deal with the stages of meditation.Asana: This is the most widely known yogic practice, the physical positions or postures. Asanas (Yogic postures)
Pranayama Breathing: Control and regulation of Prana, or life-force. Extensive breathwork. Pranayama (Breath Control)
Pratyahara: Sense Withdrawal. Pratyahara (Retraction of the Senses)
Niyamas: Accomplishing our goals. Observances, purity, austerity, contentment, awareness of the devine, self education. Niyama (Observances or Disciplines or Devotion)
Dharana: Concentration when the mind focus's on one point. Dharana (Fixation of Attention)
Samadhi: High state of meditation. - super consciousness
Dhyana: Religious meditation - Worship Dhyana (Devotion, Fusive Apprehension)
Yama:. Control of the way we live and the manner in which we live: non-violence, truthfulness and release of overindulgence. Ashtanga Yoga, The Eight-Limbs of Yoga
Eight Styles of Yoga
There are eight main yogas. Each type of yoga is individualized to a persons needs, seeking emotional fullfillment, solving your deep questions about life and attunement of your will with God's will, or the higher will of your spiritual self.Bhakti Yoga: Bhakti yoga, or devotional yoga, is the most natural path for those who are dominantly seeking emotional fulfillment and well being.
Karma Yoga: Karma refers to the universal principle of cause and effect.
Jnana Yoga: Jnana means wisdom or discernment. Jnana yoga is the path of wisdom and jnana meditation is many-faceted.
Raja Yoga: Raja means royal or kingly and the path of self control. Raja yoga meditation is generally based on directing one's life force to bring the mind and emotions so into balance that the attention may be easily focused on the object of meditation, or the Lord directly.
Mantra Yoga: Mantras (or mantrams) are words, phrases, or syllables which are chanted thoughtfully and with growing attention
Laya Yoga: There are five main energy centers in your spine and two in your head. When these centers are found, they function very much like doorways to different realms of higher consciousness.
Tantra Yoga: The word tantra literally means "expansion." A tantra yogi concentrates on expanding all levels of his or her consciousness to unveil and realize the Supreme Reality. Tantra focuses on the dynamic aspect of divinity called Shakti, or "the Cosmic Mother."
Hatha Yoga: Hatha yoga, in the twentieth century, is mainly practiced for health and vitality. It's a marvelous means of exercising, stretching, and freeing the body so it can be a healthy, long-lived, and vital instrument of the mind and soul.
There are two other popular types of yoga's, kundanlini and kriya:
Kundalini Yoga: Kundalini Yoga (also known as Awareness Yoga) stimulates the nervous & immune systems, improves strength & flexibility, centers the mind & opens the spirit. It is a combnation of raja, hatha, tantra, layla and mantra yoga's.
Kriya Yoga: Classically, kriya yoga is a blend of raja, jnana, and bhakti practices. The word kriya means "to do, to make an effort," or "to transform."
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